Illusionary Love
by Yuuki Asuna-San
Summary: Kirito and Asuna manage to escape both Sword Art Online and ALfeim Online. Then events begin happening, effecting Asuna the bonds between the two of them. But what happens when a new virtual game is created and monsters trapped inside escape through the magic portal? Read on to find out!
1. Chapter 1

_**Illusionary Love**_

** Hey everyone~! So, I guess you could say this is my first time writing a fanfiction. So I could use all the support! Well, overall this fanfiction is centered on Kazuto+Asuna! Yes, Kazuto is Kirito. So if you like some other pairing, I won't expect you to like this too much. **

** Anyways, please let me know if there's something I could improve on! It'll help a lot! Thank you! **

**Disclaimer: I do not own Sword Art Online.  
**

** -Yuuki Asuna-San**

_**~Prologue~**_

It has already been a year since Kirito and Asuna have managed to escape Sword Art Online followed by ALfheim Online. They've both been attending a school made for players that have experienced Sword Art Online. But many things have changed since then.

_**~Asuna's POV~**_

"Asuna!" I turned around. It was Kirito.

"Hey." I said with a small smile. Kirito grinned back at me, and my face turned bright red. Even though we were already going out, I can't help but feel embarrassed almost every time he's around. It's kind of…awkward, you know?

"Um…So…." Kirito began, "I was wondering if you wanted to picnic by the lake next Sunday. It'll be fun."

"Of course!" came my reply. "I'll cook….I can't trust you with cooking." We both laughed a bit as the bell began to ring.

"Well, I'll see you during second period! Bye!" I called. I saw Kirito give me a small wave over his shoulder before disappearing around the corner. That's when I hurried off to first period: Cooking.

The problem with first period is that one of my enemies, Elizabeth, is in there. Well, I guess you could say she like Kirito, which is probably why she hates me so much. It's kind of annoying, having her glare at my back all day. And ignoring her isn't as easy as you may think… But today, something bad happened. It gave Liz a big advantage over me.

We were making curry today, and the teacher was assigning partners. And with all of my luck, I was paired with Liz. I saw her smirking at me as I put on my apron. "I'm not going to lose to you!" She declared. I let out a groan inwardly. This was going to be a long class.

_**~Kazuto's POV~**_

I woke up sort of late today, luckily, not as late as I expected. I could make it way before the bell if I ran. So I leapt out of bed quickly, and began to get dressed. I heard the clatter of the door closing as my sister left for school. Usually, I would be up before her. This would probably give her something to gloat about.

Speaking of which, I suppose I should go to the park with someone this Sunday. I was going to be free for once. Something to be happy about, I guess. Holding onto this thought, I grabbed my breakfast and made a dash towards the school.

When I reached the school, I was out of breath. It was a 5-mile run. I leaned against my locker, exhausted. When my heart beat finally slowed down, I began to enter the lock code. Just then, Asuna walked in, her back turned towards me. "Asuna!" I called. She turned around and gave me a sweet smile. I couldn't help smiling back, so I flashed her a grin. Asuna would be the best person to take on a picnic, I decided. She was good at cooking too….

"Um…So…" I drawled. "I was wondering if you wanted to go to the picnic with me this Sunday. It could be fun!" I found myself saying. Asuna's smile widened. "Of course!" She said cheerfully. "But…I'll cook. I can't trust you with cooking." I gave her a small chuckle and her beautiful laugh bounced around locker room. I was still listening to her laugh when the bell rang. I turned immediately. Couldn't get too distracted now…

"Well, I'll see you during second period! Bye!" she called. I grinned and gave her a small wave over my shoulder.


	2. Chapter 2

**Good afternoon everyone! I was just enjoying my daily cookie… I can't live without a snack every now and then! Anyways, I didn't expect to be publishing another chapter so soon, but I'm in my writing mood right now. Well, I guess you guys should all be prepared for a little "twist" after this chapter. Well, hope you enjoy!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Sword Art Online.**

**-Yuuki Asuna-San**

_**~Asuna's POV~**_

"Aiee!" I didn't bother to turn around at the sound of Liz's small shriek. I smelled something burning. Probably her curry, I thought. Her eyes were drilling into me until now, so I guess I probably distracted her, somehow. It's not my fault… She wouldn't be having these problems if she hadn't been glaring at me the whole time.

However, this wasn't how Liz described it. "Asuna distracted me!" she whined. At least that part was true. But then she started saying that I told her that her cooking was horrible. Yes, that may be right in my opinion, but I don't say those things aloud. Only an idiot would do that. But of course, everyone HAD to believe Liz. That's because Liz was, well, popular. Unlike me, she had a ton of fan guys crowding around her all the time, which makes me think about why she liked Kirito when she could have almost any guy she wants. It's really strange, honestly. But then that's probably how most girls think these days.

_**~Kazuto's POV~**_

My first class was overall normal. I had a couple of friends in the class of special ability, like Tsuboi (Klein). He claims he must find an ability he was good at. So far he hadn't found anything.

"Hi!" Tsuboi shouted to me from across the room. He ran to catch up to me and began blabbering nonstop about this new virtual online game that came out.

I guess it's kind of strange that people are still learning to wield blades in the real world when we really had no need for it. However, there really aren't a lot of other things to do in this academy. So I guess practicing at mastering fencing isn't a bad thing.

The teachers are a different story when it comes to this though. "Oh, of course you're going to need it! One day, you will be helping out other people in online games." That would be an interesting profession, but after the whole Sword Art Online incident, not many people wanted to play virtual games with the nerve gear. In fact, many people hated Kayaba Akihiko after all of that. So he's become sort of dangerous, I guess.

Then Tsuboi said something that caught my attention. "What?" I asked again. He looked at me for a second before asking, "Are you even listening?" He shook his head and said, "You seem so distracted these days. I wonder what's gotten into you. And, why don't you read the news? Then I'm pretty sure you'll find out what I'm talking about.

I shrugged. I'm not that big of a fan of the news, except when I find out new games are created, I'm usually one of the first people to buy it.

When I turned the corner I entered the classroom. One of the things about my class was that Silica was there. She seemed to enjoy pestering me a bit, but I have to say she really did remind me of my sister.

"Kazuto-kun!" she squealed as I entered the classroom. "Sit here! Sit here!" I let out a small groan and Tsuboi patted my shoulder comfortingly. It didn't help much, but I could tell he was trying to cheer me up.

I sighed and cautiously sat down a good foot away from Silica. I was getting a little sensitive about physical contact, and Silica wasn't the type of person to notice that. She scooted right next to me and said, "So Kazuto-kun! I was wondering…"

**And so the first chapter ends. As for the names and stuff...Well, I'll be explaining that in probably the next chapter.**

**One more thing: For reviews, I usually try to fix chapters to match what people ask of. And I will try to make longer chapters sometime.**

**So yeah~ Thanks for reading!**


	3. Chapter 3

**Good morning everyone! It's funny I actually managed to get out of bed this morning considering the fact that I had to stay up really late last night.**

**Anyways, I have the plot almost fully planned out now. WRITING FULL SPEED AHEAD!**

**This chapter is going to take place starting Saturday, the day before Asuna and Kirito/Kazuto go on a picnic. Anyways, enjoy!**

**-Yuuki Asuna**

_**~Kazuto's POV~**_

Saturday was probably a bit more crazy than usual. When I got out of bed, I heard someone screaming outside. I peered out the window to see Silica screaming away on the top of her lungs. "KAZUTO-KUN! ARE YOU AWAKE YET?!" She kept screaming. I felt a bit confused, but shrugged and went down to the front door.

"KAZU- Oh you're up!" Silica said. She seemed somewhat proud of herself as if she had woken me up or something. "What's up?" I said casually. I was planning to visit Asuna this afternoon to pick up some groceries with her for the picnic, so I hoped she wouldn't hold me long.

"Liz is sick!" She cried. "Can you go help her? Please?!"

I was extremely confused. "Liz seemed okay the day befo-"

"Great!" Silica cut in. "Come on! We have no time to waste!" She grabbed me by my arm and dragged me off to Liz's house, lowering her head slightly so I couldn't see her expression.

_**~Silica's POV~**_

After Liz had told me all about Asuna and her evilness, I decided to separate her from Kazuto-kun. I mean, what kind of witch like her deserves a nice person like him? It just wasn't fair. So this morning, I got up at 8 o'clock and walked out to Kazuto-kun's house. At first I thought of ringing his doorbell, but that probably wouldn't work, otherwise I wouldn't seem very convincing about "fact" that Liz was sick; Heart sick. I noticed one of the windows of the house was slightly opened. I got an idea.

After 30 minutes of trying to climb a wall and getting dirty looks from people walking by, I gave up. There had to be a better way. Unaware of what I was doing, I started yelling really loud, "KAZUTO-KUN! ARE YOU AWAKE YET!?" An old grandma walking by gave me this perplexed look. I blushed, but continued yelling. "KAZU-"I began just as Kazuto-kun looked out the door. My face turned bright red but I quickly said, "Oh, you're up!" in the most normal manner possible. I tried to look as if I had just accomplished a great task in saving Liz from her sickness. Kazuto didn't seem to notice. "What's up?" he asked. He looked sort of distracted. Maybe telling him that Liz was sick would make him focus. "Liz is- sick!" I choked out. I nearly told him why. That would probably make him think I was just joking around. No time for that. "Can you go help her? Please?!" I asked trying to seem urgent.

"Liz seemed well the day befor-"he began with a confused look. Kazuto-Kun looked so cute… But I couldn't get distracted, not now.

"G-Great!" I stammered quickly. "Come on! We have no time to waste!" I grabbed his arm and began to drag him to Liz's house, lowering my face so he couldn't see the smirk I was hiding.

_**~Kazuto's POV~**_

Getting to Liz's house took us a longer than I expected. By the time we arrived, it was 12 o'clock in the afternoon. This is bad; Asuna would be expecting me soon. I was also getting kind of hungry.

Silica dashed to the door and rang the doorbell a ton of times before Liz's face popped up behind the door. She looked kind of gloomy, but when she caught sight of me she suddenly seemed cheerful.

"Kazuto-Kun! What a surprise!" She cried as she launched herself forwards and gave me a big bear hug. I was choking when she finally let go of me. "Come on in!" she said as she opened the door behind her. She led us to the dining room.

I leaned over and whispered to Silica, "Didn't you say that Liz was sick?" Silica looked at me, a forced confused look on her face. "I did?" she asked.

Our conversation was interrupted when Liz said, "Oh, you must be getting hungry. I'll make us some curry. I learned how to make it yesterday!" Great… I thought. "Um, I should let Asuna know I won't be able to make it. So is it okay if I borrowed your phone for a second?"

Liz's cheerful face fell. Then she asked, "Wait, you were planning to go to Asuna's house?" I nodded slowly. For a split second, I thought I saw her flash an evil smile at Silica, before saying, "I'll let Silica-Chan handle it! She should know where the phone is, right?" Silica bobbed her head up and down. Then she ran up the stairs, grinning.

I shook my head. I was beginning to imagine things…? Liz doesn't smile that way… But it didn't really matter. She began to wash some rice in the sink, humming dramatically along with the swishing of the water.

_**~Asuna's POV~**_

I woke up in a good mood, knowing that I would be able to see Kirito-kun, or rather Kazuto, in the afternoon. We had planned to go out and get some items for the picnic.

I found it interesting that I could never get out of the habit of calling Kirito-kun Kazuto. It was almost impossible for me, knowing him by that name for years in Sword Art Online. I smiled, remembering the first time we actually met after I escaped ALfheim Online.

_**Flashback**_

I was beginning to sit up on my hospital bed; my hands shaking as I slowly removed my nerve gear. I looked at my arms. They were so skinny the bone was showing through. Well, I had been trapped in two online games for a couple of years, so I sort of expected it.

I was placing the nerve gear on the counter nearby when suddenly the door burst open.

"Asuna!" came a voice. I turned around only to see Kirito running over and hugging me. "Are you okay?" he asked me worriedly. "Y-yes" I stammered, embarrassed. He let go of me and gave me something to eat. I gave him a small smile. "Thanks, Kirito-Kun." He laughed and said, "You're still calling me that?" I turned bright red and muttered, "Sorry, I got used to it." Kirito flashed me a grin and said, "I don't mind. That would be another thing about you that is different from other people." He poked me gently on the forehead before walking out the door, waving over his shoulder. "I'll be seeing you soon!"

_**End of Flashback**_

I touched the spot where he had poked me that day, smiling. "I will be seeing you soon, Kirito-Kun." I dashed downstairs and began to write out a shopping list.

A couple hours later, I had everything written out. "Let's see…" I said. I decided to pack a lunch for Kirito as I waited for him to come. He'll be hungry. I had just taken out a couple slices of bread when suddenly the phone rang.

"Hello?" I said. "Hello, Asuna." A voice sneered back at me. "S-Silica?" I managed to stammer. She laughed a bit before saying in a cold voice, "Your precious **Kirito** can't make it this afternoon. He's busy… Busy hanging out with Liz, that is." Then she left me listening to the dial tone. I felt kind of broken. Kirito had left me… for Liz? I sank into a chair. It took me a while to recover from the shock of it all. No, I decided. That can't be true. But it didn't really matter, because I would still be seeing him tomorrow anyways. I decided to go and get the groceries... without him. Like I had a choice.


	4. Chapter 4

**Good afternoon everyone! I will now present to you a new chapter! I guess I didn't expect to be updating so soon, and also, just a warning, be ready for another twist in this chapter!**

**Anyways, I hope you enjoy!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Sword Art Online  
**

**-Yuuki Asuna-San**

_**~Asuna's POV~**_

After buying the groceries, I walked home slowly. On my way back, I stopped by Liz's house. I gazed at it for a moment, wondering if Kirito-kun was really still there. I still felt rather confused. Why would Kirito-kun leave me for Liz? It made no sense. Then a dreaded thought crept into my mind. _Did he like her better than me?_ I shook my head immediately. It couldn't be possible, nor could it?

Suddenly I saw Kirito's face at the window looking at me. The expression on his face was…apologetic? But I hardly paid any attention. I was shocked. He really WAS there. For a split second, our eyes met. Then I turned quickly and ran. I have no idea what in the world had made me do that. But you know that a relationship can make people go crazy.

_**~Kazuto's POV~**_

When Silica came back down the stairs, she was smiling at me and said, "She knows now. She said that it didn't matter anyways." I was shocked. Did Asuna really say that? It wasn't possible, was it? I thought about it for a little. Maybe she's just upset about something… Maybe she wasn't in a good mood. I shrugged it off. I'm sure she'll be fine. She's a good person. She can manage.

Liz turned around exchanging a glance with Silica. Then she said, "I'm going to go to the pantry for a bit. And Silica, could you come with me? I could use some help." Silica nodded and trotted off following close behind. When they were gone, I got up and went to the window. Liz should really let some light inside. It was rather dull and dark in her kitchen. I carefully pushed the curtains aside and peered out the window. Then I saw a flash of orange. _Asuna! _My mind particularly screamed at the sight of her staring at Liz's house, a look of confusion her face.

I looked at her intently, trying to get her to see that I was sorry. For an instant, her eyes met mine. Then to my surprise, she grabbed her groceries and ran off. I watched her run off into the distance, gazing at the spot where she disappeared for a long time.

The loud footsteps of Silica and Liz re-entering the room startled me. I quickly drew the curtains shut and sat back down.

"Let's cook!" Liz exclaimed. She grabbed some potatoes and began chopping. Unlike Asuna, her style of chopping wasn't in a smooth rhythm. I couldn't think with that style of chopping.

Halfway through, Liz accidently nicked her finger with the knife. She began moaning nonstop. "Ow…" she kept saying. I made a face. It was starting to get on my nerves. Then Silica went over and said, "I'll finish chopping the vegetables. Why don't you start cooking the rice?" She looked at the rice cooker, whose plug wasn't plugged in. Liz laughed nervously. "O-of course!" I sighed. This was going to take a while.

_**~Asuna's POV~**_

By the time I reached my house, I was panting like crazy. I ran nonstop for 6 miles. I took out my keys and opened the door, sinking into the sofa. I noticed a picture standing by the small counter. I smiled slightly as I picked it up. It was a picture Kirito-Kun had given me a week after we left AFlheim Online. In the picture, there were Kirito and I sitting on a hill gazing at the sunset; it was a picture of the first time we actually hung out together in the real world. I had no idea why it was in the living room next to an opened window though. I usually keep things like this in my bedroom…

I shrugged and walked up the steps. I should get dinner ready for my parents. They'll be home any time now.

Two hours later I was preparing my father's favorite omelet when the door opened. I saw my father entering the room alone. "Welcome back!" I said. I went to the door and glanced around before shutting it. "Where's mother?" Father shook his head slowly and made his way up the stairs without even bothering to sit down and eat. I looked at his back, confused. Where could mother have gone? I decided not to worry about it now. She was sure to be home any minute. I grabbed a small breakfast tray and placed my father's dinner on top. I brought it to his work room, only to find that he wasn't inside. I searched the house for a while before I found him lying on the bed in my mother's room. He turned and saw me holding the tray of food before getting up and whacking it out of my hand. The bowl rice and curry shattered on the ground.

"Leave me alone." He said, his face expressionless. I couldn't help but stare at him. What had happened to my father to make him behave this way? He never wastes food, especially when they're his favorite.

That night, I was lying on my bed staring at a picture album of my family. I traced my fingers over my mother's face. "Where did you go?" I whispered.

I turned suddenly when the door creaked open. I saw my father looking through. I got up and went to the door, opening it so he could come in and sit down. But he didn't move.

"There's something I believe you should know." He said. I looked at him, curious. "_Your mother and I are divorced. She is your mother no longer. You are to stay here, with me." _Then he left, slamming the door, leaving me all alone, in the darkness.

_**~Kazuto's POV~**_

That night, I didn't feel so well. Liz's cooking didn't taste very good. She made the curry much too spicy. But I had to finish the food. She had tried, at least. I grimaced, remembering that afternoon.

_**Flashback**_

"Finally! I'm done!" Liz cried as she spooned small mountains of curry onto the rice. The color of the curry looked off. Maybe she forgot to add something.

"Enjoy!" she said as she put it down in front of me and Silica. I looked at it for a while, hesitating. Then I picked up my spoon and took a small bite. I choked. It tasted way too spicy. I picked up a glass of water beside the plate and gulped it down immediately. "Do you like it?" Liz asked me. "How is it, compared to _Asuna's_ cooking?" I couldn't help but notice the scorn in her voice. I shrugged and said, "Well, um, it tastes very… unique." I managed to say. She smiled at me, and turned to Silica. "Why don't you try some?" She asked. Silica quickly excused herself to the bathroom. I smiled slightly; I wasn't the only person that thought Liz's cooking tasted terrible. Liz kept telling me to finish my food. I couldn't help imagining the whole time how different my meal would have been if I had stayed home and visited Asuna instead.

_**End of Flashback**_

I tried going to sleep, but it didn't work so well. So I got up and went downstairs and fetched myself a small cup of warm milk. It would help a bit, at least I hoped so.

The next morning, I woke up feeling better. I had been hoping all night that the result of Liz's cooking wouldn't last forever. I felt rather cheerful as I walked down the stairs remembering that I would get to spend time with Asuna and her delicious cooking. I went outside and picked up the newspaper. Usually, as I explained, I don't read news. But Tsuboi insisted, so I might as well do so. I opened it up to the gaming section since that was what he had been talking about. I scanned over a couple of articles. Nothing really interesting so far… Then something caught my eye. "**A Virtual Online Game Portal Invented! Enter Your Game by Simply Stepping Through The Portal!**" The title read. I looked at the article, amazed. Why, this virtual online gaming was beginning to get popular! If the nerve gear was that famous, just imagine how far this would get! I read through the article. "Hm…" I muttered. Maybe I'll take Asuna out and try to get one of these sometime. It'll be really fun, being able to go through portals to access virtual games. It would probably cost a lot though…

I sat down at the table, thinking about what I should do.

_**~Asuna's POV~**_

When I finally managed to sleep that night, I had nightmares. Nightmares of Liz and Silica chasing me, nightmares of my mother and father fighting, nightmares of Kirito leaving me all alone in the darkness. I woke up the next morning feeling rather upset. Why? Why would my mom leave me all alone? I asked myself. I got up slowly. Kirito-kun would be waiting for me soon. I shouldn't keep him too long. I got up and began to get dressed.

When I went downstairs, I found my father sitting at the table. "Father," I said confused. Because there was no work on Sundays, he doesn't usually get up early. My father turned around slowly and looked at me for a long time. Then he said in a very quiet voice, "I'm sorry, Asuna." As soon as he said that, I noticed him holding a knife in his hands. That knife was my mothers. Then, before my eyes, he fell on top of it. I watched, horrified, as suddenly blood sprayed over the dining room floor. I covered my mouth, and let out a loud scream. _My dad suicided. He left me. All alone. No one is with me now. Absolutely no one. _Thinking this thought, I passed out.


	5. Chapter 5

**Hello everyone! Usually, I don't type stories on week days, but I guess that I just sort of feel like it! This chapter… contains a lot of twists, and sorry if it's a little shorter than you wanted. The next chapter will be longer, I think. Anyways, as usual, hope you enjoy!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Sword Art Online**

**-Yuuki Asuna-San**

_**~Asuna's POV~**_

When I came to it was 10 o'clock. I got up very slowly. My head throbbed and I carefully made my way around my father's dead body and the dry blood scattered on the floor. _It's not a dream. My father's dead. Dead! _ I still couldn't believe what had happened. But then again, he never truly loved me anyways, I thought bitterly. Still, he was my father.

I drew open the window curtains and looked outside. Am I truly alone now? Am I an orphan? Did mother and father really abandon me?

I sighed. I should probably tell Kirito-kun this once I meet up with him at the park… Maybe he'll help me clean up the dining room. I couldn't bear lugging my father's body out of the house and to some sort of grave yard.

But then again, maybe I shouldn't go. After all, I'm probably going to get somehow over emotional about this. But I shook this thought aside. _Kirito would be waiting for me._ I told myself. _He still loves me…_

_**~Kazuto's POV~**_

Around 11:00, I was just about ready when the doorbell rang. _Asuna?_ I wondered why she would be here right now. I thought we were going to meet up at the park. I went over and opened the door, only to see Liz standing there.

"Hi Kazuto-kun! Do you want to go to the carnival with me today? I bought tickets for just the two of us!"

"Um," I began, "Well you see, I'm a little bit busy today. I have to meet up with a friend at the park-"

"Okay!" She interrupted. "I'll come along!" _Great…_ I thought as she stood at the door waiting for me to get ready.

~x~

As we were walking to the park, Liz tripped over a sidewalk. A pretty clumsy thing to do, but I decided to help her anyways. What choice did I have? It seemed as if she had sprained her ankle, so I had to take her to the nearest hospital, which was at least 3 miles away. And Liz slowed me down a lot, limping the entire time.

Pretty soon, we passed the park. I wondered if Asuna was there yet... I walked slowly, hoping that Liz would hurry up a bit. When we finally got to the hospital, the doctor held me there for at least 30 minutes, asking questions like, "How did this happen?" over and over again. I hoped that he wouldn't hold me any longer though... I was going to be really late.

~x~

When I finally managed to escape, it was 1 o'clock. Shoot! Asuna had been waiting for me for an hour already!

I took off sprinting until I reached the park. I saw Asuna sitting under a large cherry blossom tree. She heard my footsteps, and turned around when I drew near. Her face was covered with tears, and she said, "_Liar. You left me again."_

Then she got up and bolted across the street and behind a dozen trees. I ran after her, but eventually I lost sight of her. Now I really wished that I hadn't taken Liz along. If I hadn't, then Asuna and I would be having a good time, eating and telling each other of the recent things that have been going on.

_**~Asuna's POV~**_

I walked towards the park in a cheerful mood. Since I wasn't able to see Kirito yesterday, I had to see him today. I can't call a weekend relaxing unless I saw him.

When I got to the park, I noticed a lot of other families had also gone on a picnic, so most of the spots were taken. After a while, I settled down under a shady Sakura tree and began to unpack the food. _"_Sandwiches, oranges, pears, juice, and a cake_." _I said to myself quietly. I smiled, remembering the first time Kirito had tried my cooking in Sword Art Online.

It was during the first time we were solving a mystery together, one on a crime within a safe zone. This was impossible, for the games system should ensure that no one could get hurt within a safe zone unless there was a duel. However, Kirito and I heard a scream coming from the inner courtyard. When we went to check it out, we saw a person hanging from a window, a sword pierced through his back. Eventually, the girl that had told us about him was killed, stabbed by a dagger thrown through the window.

After this, Kirito and I were sitting on a bench near the inner courtyard, thinking. I gave him a sandwich then, which he seemed to really like. He kept telling me that I could have put them up for an auction, which made me kind of mad. He sounded… Somewhat sarcastic, you know? So I kicked him, real hard. Of course, I warned him that the divisibility was a zero, yet he still dropped the sandwich. And somehow, when the sandwich disappeared, it was like a trigger to his mind. And it was thanks to that we had solved the mystery.

~x~

I looked up at the sky. The sun was pretty high up. I checked the time at a clock tower in the distance. It was still 12:25. I'll wait for a bit more… I was thinking.

A couple minutes later I heard a couple of footsteps by the road. I turned… only to wish that I never did. There was Kirito and Liz, one of her arms hanging over his shoulder, walking slowly across the street. _W-what?_ My mind almost screamed at the sight. Why in the world was he walking with Liz? I rubbed my eyes, hoping I was imagining things. But I wasn't. They just walked slowly across the street and out of my sight.

Unaware of what was happening, tears suddenly came out of my eyes._ He left me all alone for Liz. Again. _"Why?" I yelled. "WHY KIRITO-KUN? WHY, OF ALL THE PEOPLE ARE YOU LEAVING ME ALONE!?" People nearby began shooting me looks, but I didn't care. I cried and cried until I didn't have any tears left.

~x~

When the clock bell chimed, I lifted my head slightly, and gave it a glance. _1 o'clock. And he still hasn't come for me. _Just then, I heard footsteps heading towards me quickly. I turned around slowly seeing Kirito, panting from exhaustion.

"_Liar. You left me again." _The words tumbled out of my mouth. _Just when I needed you the most too_. I thought silently. Then, I got up and ran away. I swore to myself that day that I would never again look at Kirito's face. Ever.


	6. Chapter 6

**Hello everyone! After a couple of chapters, I might take a while to come up with a smooth transition and ending for the story. But for now, I am writing whenever I can! As you will probably see, Kirito's a bit dense. Anyways, hope you like this chapter! **

**I really appreciate the support everyone is giving me, even though I didn't get many reviews, I feel encouraged every time someone reads my story!**

**Thanks!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Sword Art Online**

**-Yuuki Asuna-San**

_**~Asuna's POV~**_

That night, I shut myself in my room. I couldn't possibly go to sleep; my day in the park had determined that. I huddled up in a corner. Everyone had left me. I was all alone now. But, who would care? Everything's been going by terribly because of my feelings… Was the bond between Kirito and me just a mere illusion? After seeing everything that has happened between him and Liz… Perhaps it was true after all. Perhaps he really cared about Liz far more than me. Perhaps compared to Liz, I was absolutely nothing.

It hurt me to think these thoughts, but if Kirito honestly didn't like me, I shouldn't get in his way. And meanwhile I should stop calling him Kirito… It's going to be Kazuto from now on.

I wished that he would forget about me, about everything that had happened beginning from the day we had met.

~x~

During the time I was thinking these things, I heard a voice, quiet yet distinct.

"_Would you like me to take you?" _It asked. _"Would you like me to take you to a place with no burdens? No pain? A world where you can do whatever you please? A place where you can get revenge on those who hurt you?"_

My heart skipped a beat. For a second I was mesmerized by this voice. It seemed so...calm. So comforting. So understanding. But I quickly got a hold of myself. "GET AWAY! LEAVE!" I shouted.

Then, as if nothing had ever happened, everything was silent. I sighed with relief, yet I still felt stiff and nervous. What in the world was that? I wondered. But suddenly, as if that voice had taken away my worries, I drifted off to sleep in the dark corner of my bedroom.

_**~Kirito's POV~**_

That night, I stayed up really late, thinking about Asuna. Was I hurting her in some way…? I wondered. It was strange, how downhill things had been going recently. Then I remembered the news about the portal I had read the other day. Hmm… I wonder how it's doing…

~x~

I went online and searched it up. They had millions of articles on the portal. Then, one that announced the latest events caught my eye. I scanned through the article, only to find out something terrible had happened. These portals had only been the center of attraction the day before… Now they were causing problems! Many portals installed near neighborhoods had been making eerie noises throughout the night. Others seem to vanish every now and then, cutting off the passage back to the real worlds. The worse ones had disappeared for a week or so.

Now I was glad I hadn't bought one of those. They could have caused a lot of commotion, especially for Asuna's parents…

I read the rest of the article. "Newspaper reporters and detectives have been trying to get to the bottom of blah blah blah blah… When I read the final paragraph, I clamped my hand over my mouth. "What the…?"

"The thing that worried citizens the most was the fact that a fearful monster from that game had escaped into the real world. It is said that the beast has the ability to teleport and become invisible." I was shocked. Was this real? If it was… I grabbed my cell phone and sent a text to Asuna. I wrote, "Did you hear the news about the portal?"

It was at least 30 minutes until I got a reply. I scanned through it. It said: "I didn't. What was it about, _Kazuto-San?" _

I winced. Was Asuna okay? Why in the world did she call me by my real name? This is so weird...

I typed back information on the portal, about the problems it had caused, about the monster that had escaped. Then, at the end of the message I added, "Do you want to go find the beast and defeat it? Together?" I sent the message. I waited for the reply for at least an hour. When it finally came it said, "Fine. Meet me at the main portal. 12 a.m. sharp, Saturday."

I sighed. She sure was having trouble replying to my messages… I wonder just what was going on.

_**~Asuna's POV~**_

I had just woken up and was having a small dinner when my cell phone rang. I picked it up only to see I had received a message from Ki- I mean Kazuto-san.

At first, I didn't bother to pick up. Why would he send me anything? Like he would even care about what was happening in my life anyways. But after a while, curiosity got the better of me. I picked up the phone.

"Did you hear the news about the portal?" It said. So it wasn't anything about me. All he wanted to do was ask me about the news. How nice of him.

I thought about whether I should reply or not. Well, it's just the news. Big deal, like I even care. But then again, Kazuto-San was bound to annoy me with another message again. So I replied "I didn't. What was it about, _Kazuto-San?"_ I hesitated before sending the message. But I pressed the button anyways. What did it matter?

A couple minutes later, I received another message. It said, "Apparently there's this deal about a monster from another virtual game escaping into this world. It can teleport and become invisible, and I think it could probably be capable of many other abilities that weren't mentioned. Do you want to go defeat the beast? Together?"

My face turned slightly red at this message. _W-why was he asking me? Why doesn't he ask Liz instead?_ _After all, she was more **special **to him than I was. _I was thinking. I left my phone on the desk and went downstairs to get myself a cool drink. Maybe I was dreaming. I swear I've got to get my face out of all those fantasy novels.

Ten minutes later when I got back upstairs, I couldn't seem to find my phone. I was confident I had left it by my desk, and yet somehow it was gone. I turned the entire house upside down for it until I found it: back on my desk exactly where I had left it. "Strange…" I murmured to myself as I picked up the phone and typed back to Kazuto, "Fine. Meet me at the main portal. 12:00 a.m. sharp, Saturday." I sent that message before shutting my cell phone off, laughing at myself about the deal I had made with myself the other day about never looking at Kazuto's face again.


	7. Chapter 7

**Almost dinner time! I'm so hungry… I spent the first half of the morning in the library and doing homework.**

**Well, I'm not really good at this, but I'd like to dedicate my newest chapter to everyone that has been reading, reviewing, and following this story! Though it isn't much, I really appreciate all the support I'm getting! Thank you, everyone!**

**After this or the next chapter, I might not update for a while. I need a way to find a smooth transitioning and ending, as I said in the previous chapter.**

**Once again, thank you all, and enjoy!**

**-Yuuki Asuna-San**

_**~Kazuto's POV~**_

The next day in class, I was busy polishing my blade. I had somehow managed to get Liz to make me a sword that was identical to the old one she had given me. Still, I didn't feel very comfortable using just one sword; the dual blade technique in the virtual games had assured that. Oh well… I should just make the best of it.

I hadn't trained in a while, so I hoped my skills haven't gotten too rusty. I probably should go to the training grounds after school (they were located behind the woods near the academy park). It would do me good to practice a bit.

Just then, the tapping of some shoes let me know that Silica was near.

"Kazuto-kun!" she squealed as she settled down right next to me. "What a surprise! You actually took out your blade! I haven't seen it in such a long time!" She reached forward and touched it carefully, only to get cut by the swords sharp edge. "Ow… That's sharp Kazuto-kun! Why are you polishing it like this right now?"

I didn't bother to answer. It wasn't any of her business anyways. If I let her know, she would be sure to disturb my plans. This time, I wasn't going to let Liz get in the way either. I hadn't been with Asuna alone for a long time. The fight this Saturday would give me a chance.

Pretty soon, Tsuboi (Klein) entered the room.

"'Sup, Kazuto," he said greeting me with a friendly grin. When he saw me with my sword, he backed away. "You aren't going to kill anyone with that, are you?" he asked. We both laughed as Silica began, "of course not! Kazuto-kun is a nice person!"

Obviously, she didn't get the joke. Well, she was pretty young… Or at least she looked that way. I got up and picked up my blade carefully, putting it in my sheath before hanging it next to my coat against the wall.

"Tsuboi?" I asked. "Were you in the team for testing the portal?"

"Yes... Why do you ask?" He said.

I smiled slightly. "I have some questions to ask you…"

_**~Asuna's POV~**_

I didn't feel very well the next morning. I think I may have gotten a cold… I checked my memory and noted everything that I had failed to do yesterday. After realizing how much I missed, I decided to stay home.

I grabbed a jacket hung on the back of my chair and went downstairs to get myself a breakfast. After eating, I set myself about the chores I had to finish and do today.

Since my mother probably would never come home ever again, I would have to take over what she's been doing as well as finding a way to make some money to support myself. There was just so much you could ask a girl to do…

When I entered the dining room, I stiffened. I had totally forgotten about my father's body. What should I do? I thought about this for a while before deciding to just take his body and bury it in the backyard. We hardly ever used it for anything, so it hardly would matter anyways. I grabbed a mop and got rid of the dried blood. This took me at least an hour, and I was hesitant with every stroke. I honestly didn't like touching dead things… But oh well. Might as well get it over with…

I gently picked up my father before wincing and putting him back down. My hands were stained with some of his blood… Was he even dead yet? I checked his breathing. Surely he was dead… But now I didn't want to move him anymore. Instead a brought the entire chair outside and put him in a hole I dug, chair and all. I covered it up the hole before going back inside to work on other things I had to finish.

~x~

Pretty soon it was about after school when I went into my closet and picked out my old blade. It was slightly rusted, yes, but I was one of the very few people that actually somehow managed to bring their swords out of the virtual world. So I guess I was lucky, after all I still had a sword that suits my taste. I went into the basement and found some old tools that I could use to fix up my sword. It didn't take too long. I just polished it and sharpened it for a while. Before you know it, it was as good as new.

Speaking of which, Kiri- I mean Kazuto didn't get his blade back didn't he…? I decided on a special present for him… But that could wait. I was already really tired by then, even though it was only six. I grabbed myself a scone from the microwave and a glass of milk before climbing up the stairs. For once, I felt actually pretty content. This was one of my good days, I guess. Probably a rare one, ever since Kazuto had chosen Liz... over me.

**Sorry if this chapter was a little short... It came out shorter than I intended. I promise promise promise that the next chapter will be longer. I'll do my best~!**

**Once again, thanks for all the support!  
**


	8. Chapter 8

**Hi everyone! Sorry for not updating for a while, school had me kind of busy. After this chapter as I have been saying, I most likely won't update for a while. Anyways, I hope you enjoy this chapter!**

**-Yuuki Asuna**

**Asuna's POV**

About week had passed since Kazuto asked me to help him defeat the boss. It was currently a Friday night, one of the days that I didn't have much to do. I was in my backyard, polishing up on my skills when my phone rang. I picked it up, only to find the person on the other side of the phone was Noboyuki.

"Hello, Asuna," came his chilling voice. "Do you want to come to a restaurant with me tonight?" I did the most sensible thing anyone could do: I hung up on him.

My father was…. You know. And so nothing connected me to him anymore. So it wouldn't ever matter if he tries to ask me out. It won't work without anyone to force me.

Thirty minutes later I went inside to get myself a drink of water when the doorbell rang. I opened the door, and there was Noboyuki, standing there.

"My dear Asuna," he said, "Why don't we go for a walk?" I slammed the door in his face. What's his problem? Why the heck is he bothering me? I was about to go outside when my doorbell rang _again. _ARGH! THIS IS SO FRUSTRATING! I went to the door and there was Noboyuki, still standing there.

"Go away." I told him. Then I closed the door. A couple minutes later, the doorbell rang _again! _ I pulled the door open. "OH MY GOODNESS NOBOYUKI! WHAT'S YOUR PROBLE-" And there was Kazuto, looking at me all confused. I clamped my hand over my mouth and closed the door. Asuna. CALM DOWN. I told myself silently. Then I opened the door a little and peeked outside.

"Hello, _Kazuto-San._" I said. "What do you need?"

Kazuto looked at me with a perplexed look before saying, "You want to go and train together?"

"Um…Okay." I said. "Just a second…" I quickly shut the door before he could see my face turning bright red. That was one of the most random things he asked me, but I guess it would do me good to train with someone. I went to the refrigerator and got two bottles of iced tea before stepping out the door.

Kazuto smiled at me and we both started off towards the training grounds behind the school.

**Kazuto's POV**

_It's getting kind of late _I thought to myself as I left the library. I felt a bit bored. Agil and Tsuboi were both busy today, which leaves Asuna, but she seemed to be rather moody these days… Maybe we should go training together. It would give me some time to catch up on what was happening lately.

I stopped by my house and took out my sword from the closet before setting off toward Asuna's house.

When I finally got there, it was almost seven. I saw a dark shadow walking off in the distance. _Strange… _I rang the doorbell, and the door immediately opened.

"OH MY GOODNESS NOBOYUKI! WHAT'S YOUR PROBLE-" Asuna screamed before clamping her hand over her mouth and closing the door. "What was she talking about?" I wondered. This was getting kind of awkward. A couple minutes later the door opened, and Asuna smiled sweetly at me.

"Hello, _Kazuto-San." _She said. "Do you need something?" I couldn't help but stare at her for a while. Was she _still _calling me that? I couldn't help but feel a bit hurt at her tone of voice, but I shrugged it off and asked, "Do you want to go train together?"

Asuna seemed to ponder this for a while before replying, "Um…Okay." She hesitated a bit before closing the door. I heard her footsteps going further and further away.

A couple minutes later she opened the door and stepped outside. I decided to go to the training grounds behind our school.

As we started walking, I heard some footsteps behind us. I turned around, but no one was there. I kept walking. Asuna was a little quiet today… Suddenly, I heard more footsteps behind us. I turned around again, and no one was there. _I must be hearing things… _I thought.

We walked on, and as we were walking by the park, someone suddenly ran forward and grabbed Asuna's arm.

"KYA!" She shrieked, startled. Instinctively, my hand whipped out and slapped that person. Hard.

I heard a loud thump, and there, on the ground, was Noboyuki.

"Curse it…" he muttered under his breath. I glared at him. What was he doing? Why was he here?

"Y-YOU!" He shouted at me. "Why're you here with Asuna?! Huh?! Don't you dare steal her from me!" He hollered.

I turned around and walked away. Noboyuki seemed to be having a hard time getting up, from the sounds of it. I wonder why….

~x~

"No fair!" Asuna whined. I smirked. We had just started training, yet Asuna already seemed really tired. Has she even been practicing?

"AGAIN!" she declared. I looked at her. She seemed exhausted.

"Some other time," I told her. I couldn't help but laugh at the expression on her face.

"But we're fighting tomorrow!" She complained. "You're sister trained you! I didn't get any training! NO FAIR!" I shook my head.

"It's getting late. We're going to leave early if you want to catch the monster off guard." She couldn't argue with that. So we headed home, walking slowly. I was scared that Asuna was going to fall asleep halfway there. She was really tired from the looks of it. But somehow, we made it. After I dropped her off, I checked the time. It was still eight…. I decided to stop by Agil's bar. Tsuboi should be there. I could probably get more information on the monster there…

**Asuna's POV**

I got home exhausted. It seemed like something had drained all of my energy. This is so weird…

I got myself some milk and went up the stairs, and opened the door to my bedroom. Then I noticed all of my pictures that I kept tidily in my photo album were scattered all over the room. I shook my head. What was going on?

I started to clean up the photos and then I picked up a picture that seemed different from all the others. It was not a picture I had taken, I'm positive. But it wasn't the fact that the picture had shown up that made me upset. It was what was on the picture.

The picture of Kazuto and I looking at the sunset was gone. Instead, there was a picture of _Liz _and Kazuto.

I stared at the photo for a long time. Then, I ripped it in half and stuffed it in the trashcan.

Now I didn't feel like sleeping in my room anymore. Instead I went into the guest room. There, I sprawled out on the bed and fell asleep.

**Kazuto's POV**

I woke up in the morning still feeling a bit sleepy. I turned off the alarm clock and went out of my bedroom and got myself a small breakfast.

I had decided the night before that it wouldn't be such a good idea to eat a lot this morning. From the way Tsuboi described this beast, this wouldn't be an easy fight. He told me that this monster was 9 feet tall and looked somewhat similar to the phoenix. It didn't wield a blade, exactly. It had millions of small daggers that contained paralysis poison and also poison that could destroy your brain very quickly. All of his poisons were fast acting, and therefore it could kill you in seconds if you weren't careful.

A couple hours later I was just about to leave when suddenly I heard someone knocking at my door. I opened it and there was Liz…again.

"Kazuto-kun Kazuto-kun! You want to go to my house?" She asked.

I shook my head. "No thanks Liz, maybe some other time…"

"Okay!" She said. "Then I'll visit yours!" She pushed me aside gently and ran inside. "Its so big!" She squealed. She ran down the hallway and into the kitchen. "Oh my goodness! You're so lucky! You got all the kitchen tools that I could ever dream of!" She leaned over the counter and accidently knocked over one of the plants Suguha planted.

"Crap!" I tried to catch it before it hit the ground, but I was too late. The jar fell to the ground and left a HUGE mess on the floor.

"Great…" I muttered. Suguha had gotten into gardening a couple days ago, and this was the first thing she had planted. She was going to kill me if she found out what happened.

"Oh! I'm so sorry!" Liz cried. "I'll clean it up right away!" She bent down and began to pick up the pieces of glass, only to get cut by the sharp edges.

"Ah! IT'S BLEEDING!" She shrieked. Then she began running all over the house looking for a band aid.

"How troublesome…" I muttered as I went into the closet and got a broom and dustpan. I cleaned up the mess and got Liz a band aid. THAT'S when I noticed what time it was.

"Shoot! I'm late!" I grabbed my sword, ran out of the door and yelled, "Bye Liz! I got to go! I suggest you go home now!"

~x~

When I arrived at the portal, I saw the monster. It had dark red feathers that were the color of blood. It seemed to be looking at something intently. Then it turned around and faced me.

_Where was Asuna? _I began to panic. Suddenly, I felt the sharp tip of a blade graze my cheek. I turned around, and there was Asuna, her eyes cold and dull, her sword pointed at me.


	9. Chapter 9

**Hello everyone! Sorry I took so long in getting this chapter posted. I got the writer's block so it took me forever to come up with an idea. Well, hope you like the latest chapter!**

_Asuna's POV_

_Everything is dark. No one cares about me. There is no hope anymore. Kirito's gone. My parents are gone. I don't have any friends. Life isn't worth living anymore!_

_**That's right. It wasn't fair for only you to suffer. Why not make them suffer too? You can trust me. I will make them suffer like you did. **_

_Who are you?_

_**A friend, your only friend. Don't worry. I will support you. I will help you make them suffer…**_

_Kazuto's POV_

I stared at Asuna. Her eyes were dull and empty. What had this beast done to her? Why was she attacking me? What in the world was going on?

Asuna saw her chance. Immediately she attacked me. Ordinarily, I was able to predict all of her attacks. But this time it was different. Asuna moved with the wind. _Right, left, retreat, left, back… _She had no attack pattern of some-sort. In only a couple of minutes, she landed a blow on my shoulder. I winced. Clearly Asuna had sharpened her sword before combat. I jumped back about a yard from Asuna. The best choice right now would be to keep my distance.

However Asuna was not about to let me escape so easily. She moved quickly, and in a few seconds, she was behind me, ready to pierce the sword into my back. I flipped backwards, until I reached the trees at the other side of the clearing.

Then I noticed the Phoenix-like creature. It's eyes were open a tiny bit, and it seemed tense with concentration. Whenever Asuna moved, the creature's eyes always followed her, and was always a step ahead of her. It was as if…

Then I realized it. This creature was manipulating Asuna! If I killed it, I would free her! Immediately, I charged at the creature. But then, a huge pain hit me. I staggered and fell down. Blood welled up at the shoulder where Asuna had hit me before. How was this possible? It had only been a small cut a couple minutes ago.

"It's poison," came a voice. I looked up and saw Asuna, her eyes looking down at me, still dull. "It will eat up your body until there is nothing left…"

Asuna raised up her sword, and brought it down on me. Just before the sword struck, I noticed a tear run down her face.

"Farewell…Kirito…"

**Okay, That was a really short chapter, sorry about that! I'll do my best to make the next one longer! This will probably be the shortest chapter I'll be publishing. Anyways, hope you liked it!**


	10. Chapter 10

**Hello everyone! Sadly, Sword Art Online is coming to an end... Well, most of the story is now in place, and planned. I hope to finish this before winter break (for me it's the 20****th****) so yeah, I will be updating pretty often, or at least I hope so! Hope you enjoy the latest chapter!**

_**Asuna's POV**_

When I saw that sword being brought down upon Kirito, more than anything I tried to stop. I pulled at this invisible force controlling me. Maybe he was really annoying me, maybe he may not love me a single bit. But I couldn't hide my feelings, could I? I don't hate him. He is the only one in this world that had mattered to me. And I don't think that that will ever change…

_**Kazuto's POV**_

I shut my eyes, waiting for the blow of Asuna's blade upon me. I waited and I waited. But it never came. Slowly, I lifted my head. Asuna was there, her eyes still dull, but there was a small light in them.

"L-Leave Kirito…Before…it's…too…late…" Every word she said seemed strained with effort, as if it took a lot of work to even say anything. "H-Hurry up!" I didn't know what to make of it. But I didn't move. If I left, it was obvious what the monster was going to do to Asuna; that is, it was going to take her life. I got up, but I held my ground.

"W-what are you doing…?" she said. "Leave! Now!"

"Asuna," I growled. "Why do you think I'm not attacking you? Why? You think that I don't love you? You think that I'm a fool who would abandon those who needs me the most? Never! Asuna, I'm not a lowly person that uses the difficult times of others! We will stand together! We will fight…until the very end."

Asuna flinched. The light in her eyes slowly subsided. "Kirito! Get away before I kill y-you…" and suddenly she lunged towards me, again her body controlled. But this time, she didn't stop talking. Her body was under the influence of the animal, but her mind was not.

"Move! Left step!" She yelled to me, trying to keep me away from her blade. But even though she did this, the wound on my shoulder worsened the more I moved.

_God I can't keep this up anymore!_

x x x

A flash of red blurred past me. I heard Asuna's sword being parried, and there, standing in front of me, was Tsuboi. "Thought I would have abandoned you, eh, Kazuto?"

Suguha showed up a couple of minutes later. "Oni-chan you're hurt!" She exclaimed. For some reason, she wasn't surprised. Picking up her medical box she had brought with her, she began putting medicine on my wound.

"Kazuto, what's with this girl?" Tsuboi demanded. "Why is your girlfriend attacking you?" My face reddened when he mentioned the word 'girlfriend'. We were all distracted when suddenly, the beast attacked.

"KYA!" Sugu screamed as she was knocked away from me. I leapt back. The monster towered over me, his wings unfolding so that we could see his deep red scales. _Hsss…_ it said. _Kazzzuto…you are minneee…._

Sugu screamed again. Tsuboi looked amazed. "Hey, the thing can talk!" he kept saying. Unnoticed by everyone, Asuna was coming up behind him. Suddenly, down he went.

"ARGH! LET GO OF ME YOU-" he said, an outraged look on his face. "Stop struggling!" Asuna said while her blade was inching towards his neck.

"How can I NOT struggle?!" He yelled, trying to get out of reach of Asuna's rapier. "Dude Kazuto! What is wrong with her?!"

"Her mind's not being controlled!" I called back, dodging a blow to the shoulder from the beast. "Listen to what she's saying!"

And suddenly, Sugu was there, helping Tsuboi out of Asuna's grasp. When Tsuboi was freed, he still looked outraged. "You little-" He began, but was dragged away by Sugu.

Asuna took a couple of steps towards them, but I dashed over behind her.

"Sorry, this is going to hurt a little," I muttered, and swiftly I knocked her out.

With Asuna unconscious, the monster was enraged. _I will get youuu! _He shrieked. _Little boy you are mineee…._

Tsuboi and Sugu ran forward, with an obvious intention of helping me. I did my best, keeping up with their moves, switching when it was needed. But after two years without using swords in a gaming system, no matter how much you trained, it was sort of difficult. We were going to lose no matter how hard we tried.

xxx

_**Asuna's POV**_

I was enveloped in darkness again. It wasn't my fault that I was attacking anyone. So why leave me out? I pouted. I got up slowly, and took a good look around. Up above me was a pattern of swirling stars. They had never looked so close before…

Suddenly, many of the stars began to move. Or was it just my imagination? Slowly, they made an interesting sort of path, connecting down onto the darkness where I stood. Down from the path descended the one and only Kayaba Akihiko.

"Asuna," he said. "Why are you here? Why aren't you helping your hero back in reality?"

I sighed. "I have no idea why I'm here," I replied. "And there is no way I can go back. Don't you know? Kayaba, you are smarter than almost everyone in this world. Don't you understand how it feels to be not needed by anyone? Don't you?

Kayaba didn't reply. Instead he looked up at the stars.

"There are many stars in this world that are living. All things are living in their own way. You can even think that your soul is a living being itself."

"All things have something they are tied to. For us, humans, it is life. And our lives are carried out because we have emotions. And you," he turned towards me, "if you truly love Kirito more than anything else, then you should be helping him. He loved you, didn't he? Then don't doubt what he tells you."

Kayaba smiled a bit. "I can see," he said, "that you two will be together forever." And in a flash he was behind me. "Asuna, do not doubt. Be free!" And immediately, the beautiful night sky before me dissolved, and everything faded into the sounds of reality.

_**Kazuto's POV**_

There was definitely no way we could win this battle. Sure, we were outnumbering the monster, but he was a magical creature and we were ordinary mortals. How could we do something greater than what virtual objects can?

In a swift motion, the wings of the great creature blew Sugu and Tsuboi back. They crashed into trees in the back of the clearing, and were unable to stand. The beast towered above me. _Atlasss….Kirito…..I have you…_

I gripped my blade and prepared myself for an agonizing pain.

"Flashing Penetrator!" A voice came from behind me. In an instant, a part of the monster's wings were torn off. The beast shrieked with surprise.

_Whaat…? Magic…? Here…?_

I too, was shocked. How was this possible…? I turned around, and there, standing behind me, was Asuna enveloped in a strange, glowing light.

"Move!" She yelled, shoving directly pass me. Her blade swept across the monster's chest causing a cut so big that it could not be hidden by the bird.

In an instant, Asuna used the move that she knew the best; the Absolute Sword. The beast was split in half and finished.

I stared up at Asuna as she turned around. But instead of coming up towards me and piercing me with her blade, she dropped her rapier and ran over. Then she hugged me.

"I'm so sorry…" she began. But her words broke into sobs. The palm of her hand gently touched my wound.

"It's fine," I replied, feeling rather dizzy. And with that, I passed out.


	11. Chapter 11

**Dun Dun Dun…The final chapter has arrived! Well, all I have to say is that it was a lot of fun writing this. I plan to start another fanfiction soon though I still need some ideas…Well, as usual, hope you enjoy this story!**

_**Kazuto's POV**_

I woke up in a hospital bed. The scene outside told me that it was in the middle of the night. I was about to get up when I noticed someone at the foot of my bed. There was Asuna, sleeping peacefully, the moonlight making her hair glow a pale silver blue.

I blinked. It was going to take some time getting used to the pain in my arm. I had gotten poisoned pretty badly, not to mention lost a lot of blood. If Tsuboi, Asuna, and Sugu hadn't gotten me to the hospital fast enough, apparently I would have died.

Asuna stirred in her sleep. "Kirito…?" she murmured, sitting up on her chair next to my bed. "Good morning," I said, referring to the same words I had used when we had first spent time together. "Sleep well?"

Asuna's face turned slightly red. It would have looked cute if it wasn't night time…

"Geez!" she pouted. "And I was so worried…" She looked away, embarrassed.

"What's wrong, Asuna?" I asked. Asuna looked at the floor.

"Everything's wrong!" she suddenly burst out. "I hurt you! You're going to be in the hospital for at least a year! Liz wants you back at school and so do I! And more importantly I'm-" she stopped abruptly, unsure if she should continue or not. But she had already gotten my attention. "You're what?" I pressed.

Asuna couldn't look me in the eye. "I'm moving…" she said quietly.

I drew back as if I had been slapped. "You're moving?!" I said. "Why? What happened?!"

Asuna looked away. "It's my parents. They're dead. No one's there to take care of me anymore. The government states that I'm too young to get a job even though I should be able to. So I'm moving to Osaka, where my aunt will raise me."

This was plain unfair. Just when I had gotten Asuna back, they decided to move her to a place where I couldn't even reach her. Why?

"Life is cruel to me," Asuna said, her voice strained with emotion. "Oh Kirito, what am I going to do?" With that, she broke down into sobs, unable to control herself.

I couldn't say anything. My first reaction was shock, which was then overcome with rage. "They can't move you! I won't let them!" Even as I said them, I doubted my words. They were selfish, and I knew it. But what could I do? There was no way I would let them take Asuna from me now!

"When are you leaving…?" I asked. Asuna looked at the ground. "In a week. I will be headed to the Tokyo Airport then…"

I sighed. "Looks like you don't really have much of a choice hmm? Well, meet me Saturday, here. I'll have something for you."

xxx

Asuna arrived on Saturday wearing her usual outfit. "Be aware that I'll be…leaving in a few hours." She choked out. I smiled sadly. "I know," I replied. "That's why I wanted to give you this."

I held out a small box to Asuna. She opened it and gasped. Inside was a wedding ring, similar to the one we had in the Sword Art Online server.

"Remember that you belong to me, Asuna," I said, slipping it on her finger. I smiled again, slightly. Asuna blushed and backed up a bit before handing me a package to take.

"Here," she said. "It's probably not the best in the world, but I hope you like it anyways." She said quietly. In her hands were two blades; a long black one and a light blue one.

My smile broadened slightly as I unsheathed the black blade. It looked exactly like the one I had in Sword Art Online. "Thanks," I said, unable to hide a teasing hint in my voice. "How did you make this so similar?"

Asuna's face reddened. "It's with memory…" She said, also smiling a bit. Then, she glanced at the clock.

"Well, I have to go…" she said, pulling away reluctantly.

"Asuna, come here," I said. She approached me, and I brushed her lips with a feather light kiss. "I'll come for you again," I whispered. "And when I do, I will never let you go."

_End~_


End file.
